1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a snack food composition and method of making such composition.
2. Background Art
There are numerous processes for producing snack food products for the consumer. Many of these products are deep-fat fried in order for the product to expand and result in a puffed product. Needless to say, this method of deep-fat frying has the disadvantage of absorbing large amounts of fat, resulting in a product with high caloric content which many consumers do not find acceptable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,582, entitled Fortified Snack Process and Product, to Blagdon, et al., describes a process for producing low calorie snack food products which involves fortifying carbohydrate materials that have been substantially pregelatinized with a protein material which has not been substantially heat gelled. The protein source may be any high purity proteins, for example, milk, egg, or oilseed proteins. Blagdon, et al., also use a starch modifying and complexing agent, such as a saturated monoglyceride material, to prevent the hydration of the starch molecule by water. The shaped product is then converted to a snack food product, preferably by frying, since the heating step also serves to set or heat-gel the protein source. The moisture content of the cooked product ranges from 2-6% by weight; protein content ranges from 16-25% by weight; starch content ranges from 49-56% by weight; and the fat content ranges between 12% and 35% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,929, entitled Method of Manufacturing a Meat-Containing Expanded Food Product, to Hale, et al., describes a method of producing a meat-containing expanded food product directly from proteinaceous material, such as raw meat, that has been heated and dried to decrease its moisture to a value between 20% and 40%, and which also has been ground to reduce the particle size. The ground material is then subjected to elevated temperatures and pressure using an extruder to cook the dried meat. A farinaceous material component may be combined with the dried meat. The expanded cooked meat material is broken into pellets and further drying of the pellets is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,729, entitled Method for Preparing Food Snack Compositions, to Harms, et al., also proposes a process that involves adding a mixture of a starch material and fatty glyceride through a hopper into a housing containing a screw, and thereafter forcing the mixture through a small orifice that may be one of many shapes. A puffed product containing granulated starch material is produced having an abrasion rating of less than 30%; 50% of the material would pass through a sieve screen having a 0.0041 inch opening, and contains between 10% and 15% moisture. The starch materials used may be an acid-modified starch derived from corn, white milo, or dehulled and degerminated corn. No meat, either raw, dried, or frozen, is used in this method.
The process used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,028, entitled Composition Containing Animal Parts for Production of a Fried Snack Food and Method for Production Thereof, to Meyer, et al., also requires drying raw animal parts to a relatively low moisture content, comminuting those animal parts to a relatively small particle size, and mechanically defatting the animal particles to a reduced fat (less than 15-18%) content. It is also disclosed that the animal parts may comprise no more than 25% hot oil rendered parts in order to avoid problems in gelatinization of the animal parts. The animal parts may be chosen from a wide variety of high collagen content meat parts. However, the most preferable animal parts are conventional green pork skins, in part rendered pork skins, bacon or ham rinds, connective tissue, cartilage, and intestinal tract tissue. It is only necessary that the total mixture of animal parts have a relatively high average collagen content. The moisture content of the animal parts must be reduced to less than 35% by air, smoke, or the like, at a preferred drying temperature between 212.degree. F. and 275.degree. F., for less than five hours. After appropriate drying, the animal parts are preferably comminuted, and it is also preferred that the dried material be cooled prior to comminuting. The animal parts must be reduced in fat content by rendering or mechanical defatting in order to accomplish sufficient gelatinization in the extruder, and mechanical defatting is preferred over hot oil rendering.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,548, entitled Method for Preparing Extruded Fried Snack Products from Corn and Other Cereal Flours, to Willard, teaches an expanded, fried cereal-based snack product comprising essentially (1) a low water-absorbing component, (2) a high water-absorbing component, and (3) a starch component comprising one or more ungelatinized starches, comprising from about 10% to 45%, by weight, of the total dry solids. This invention uses only cereals, preferably corn, to make an expanded snack which needs frying and does not contain any meat in its composition.
Canadian Patent No. 694,276, entitled Farinaceous Animal Food, to Burgess, et al., likewise contains no meat and comprises a pet food prepared by high temperatures "substantially above 212.degree. F."
U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,025, entitled Pet Food Product and Method for Forming Same, to Miller, et al., also teaches a pet food composition requiring temperatures above 212.degree. F.
European Patent No. EP 0 131 701 to Rapp teaches an extruded potato chip composition comprising potato powder, ballast, and seasonings. No meat products are used in the product.
Thus, the prior art has failed to provide a means of combining non-rendered, undried, raw, frozen or chilled comminuted meats and other similar meat products with farinaceous material components to form an expanded snack product that is nutritious, lower in calories than conventional snacks, is highly palatable, with a long, stable shelf life and which has a lower fat content and higher protein content than normally prepared fat-fried products.